YMCA Partners with Youth Campaign Results & Volunteer Celebration

On Tuesday evening, as Co-Chair of the YMCA Association Board Partners with Youth Campaign, I attended the 133^rd Annual Meeting and Partners with Youth Volunteer Celebration at the Grand Hyatt in Seattle.  One of the evening highlight’s was recognition of Jane Lewis, outgoing Chair , YMCA Board of Directors.  Jane has done an incredible job of overseeing the organization as we completed a $40 million capital campaign during the past few years and continued to set new records for our Partners with Youth Campaign.  See photo of Jane above enjoying a standing ovation from the YMCA supporters gathered for this special evening.

I had the exciting job of announcing the overall fundraising totals for both the Association Board and the overall Association-wide Partners with Youth Campaign.  Sharing the stage with me were representatives from 15 of the various YMCA locations throughout our area each reporting on the success of their individual campaigns.  For the Association Board, we raised more money than ever before at $1,212,393 and were thrilled to do so.  However, with a goal of $1,300,000, we still have additional funding opportunities and are focused on raising the rest of the dollars to support kids and families in our community.  Following an impromptu drum roll, I announced that against an overall goal of $4,602,000, with the combined totals, together we raised $4,610,823!  What an accomplishment during this time of economic challenge and stress!  Of course the credit goes to both the volunteers and the YMCA staff who all work so hard to make this possible.

Following the exciting fundraising news, fourteen 2009 Volunteers of the Year were recognized by Jane Lewis, Board Chair and Bob Gilbertson, President/CEO, YMCA of Greater Seattle including Angela Doolittle of Auburn Valley, Laurie Larson of Bellevue Family, Dean & Audrey Stupke of Camping Services, Marilyn Herzberg of Coal Creek Family, Jeanne Shepard of Dale Turner Family, Mike Myers of Downtown Seattle, Carolyn Thomas of Matt Griffin, Greg Martin of Meredith Mathews East Madison, Jeffrey Barker of Metrocenter, Joel Lenox of Northshore, James  Rosenweig of Sammamish Family, Rebecca Wilson of University Family, the Dolphin Swim Team Parent Club of West Seattle & Fauntleroy, and Mark Owen of the Association Office.

The evening ended with President/CEO Bob Gilbertson sharing an appropriate quote that he had learned from one of his mentors growing up:  “The time we give to others is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in this world.”